Renowned Philosophy Journal Synthese (Temporary?) Corrupted by Religious Lobby

Brian Leiter tells the story here. Note the boycott initiative!

Here We Go Again: Great Contemporary Philosopher Jonathan Bennett Offers Many Texts for Free Download – Incl. his Own Translations of Many "Early Modern" Philosophy Classics

So, here we go again. Yet another on my personal Top Ten List of contemporary philosophers, Jonathan Bennett, offers many of his scholarly articles over the years for free download. These papers demonstrate not only the incredible range (analysis of philosophical classics, metaphysics, philosophy of mind and language, moral philosophy....) of Bennett's philosophical abilities and interests, but also one of the most elegant and versatile stylists and sharp minds of anglophone 21st century philosophy. Driven by what comes out as the most attractive mix of a mind stopping at nothing to achieve the ultimate clarity of expression and reasoning and rationality of argument, and a person apparently harboring no need of showing off; just as happily making his case in the simplest of straightforward ways, as effortlessly firing whatever piece in the arsenal of advanced formal method and technical language needed to achieve his aim. And again, just as the other two (1, 2) contemporary philosophers I have been writing about recently, with that attractive attitude of being engaged in an eternal and shared quest where whatever theoretical cathedral that has just been risen in the next step has to be the object of undermining questioning and scrutiny.

And as if all of that is not enough, Bennett also offers his own translations of "early modern" philosophical classics, adapted to have contemporary readers more easily getting the points and subtleties of theses and arguments.

Another Great Moral Philosopher with Lots for Download: James (Jim) Rachels (RIP)

I only met James (Jim to his friends) Rachels (1941-2003) once (more than ten years ago at a nice, cozy conference in Cape Town about the ethics of everyday life, brilliantly put together by David Benatar) and I remember how stunned I was that he immediately impressed me as being just the sort of person I had unconsciously imagined him to be through reading some of his rich writings on moral philosophy and applied ethics: kind, warm and with a passionate temper not for arguing or making a point, but for getting to the heart of matters discussed without any sort of megalomaniac fantasy about himself ever succeeding. Just because of that, he often came closer than many others – willing as he was to embrace the idea of the map of ethics and philosophy having to both being made readable to folks in general and being in need of constant revision. James Rachel's textbooks on moral philosophy are still widely used all over the world – and that for the best of reasons: they have yet to meet their match. His popular and encyclopedic essays are a school in itself for anyone wanting to attain the skill of writing simple and clearly about complicated and enigmatic matters. Much of his academic contributions still hold up to the most critical of scrutiny and continue to be standard references in contemporary debates.

Lucky for us all, then, that his son Stuart Rachels (himself a philosopher in his father's spirit) has had the most generous kindness of making most of what James Rachels ever wrote available for free online viewing and download.

Bon Appetite!